The new Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority has been unveiled to parliament and one of the board members will be a former MP - because of their "important and unique insight” into the taxpayer-funded travel scheme.
It's a major feature of Malcolm Turnbull’s once "in a generation, if not longer" reforms, following the Sussan Ley and New Year's Eve party travel scandals.
If the legislation passes, the authority will report on entitlements every month and provide advice to MPs about what can be claimed.
The independent body is expected to have four or five members, including one judge, one experienced auditor and one former member of parliament.
The roles would be part-time with payment determined by the Remuneration Tribunal. Part-time office holders for government authorities typically receive between $20,000 and $100,000 per year.
Special Minister of State Senator Scott Ryan said a former parliamentarian "will provide an important and unique insight into the requirements of the role” to help provide advice and meet public expectations about reporting and transparency.
Labor Senator Don Farrell backed the government's proposal.
"An independent board with a broad range of relevant experience in auditing, remuneration, judicial and parliamentary matters will ensure the authority has the insight to effectively oversee the appropriate use of parliamentary expenses," he said.
Senator Farrell has previously benefited from a public appointment as an ex-politician. He was given a board position at public superannuation fund Super SA in 2015 following his failure to be re-elected to the Senate at the 2013 election. He resigned from Super SA after he returned to the Senate last year.
With Labor’s support, the legislation can be passed.
Senator Nick Xenophon said an auditor and a judge could do the job by themselves, and suggested that if a former MP was part of the Authority then an ordinary member of the public should be as well.
"You need a layperson to give the taxpayer’s perspective,” he said.
The bill also precludes advice from the authority from being accessed through Freedom of Information law.
The bill’s explanatory memorandum states this will "allow the authority to give frank advice to MPs and [political] staff about their travel expenses and allowances and to encourage early engagement with the authority on such matters".
A separate entitlements reform bill specifying what expenses politicians can claim will be introduced in coming weeks.
